315 



Fall details of the analysis are given in the paper which are not 

 reproduced here. 



The importance of the examination is that it shows the truly 

 nutritive value of this pulp which is fairly rich in fatty matters, in 

 phosphates, and especially in sugars. Attention, however, should 

 be drawn to a fact worthy of notice that this substance is the 

 richest known of in saccharose, the pulp of the beet-root only 

 contains as a maximum 18 to 20 per cent, of saccharose, the sugar- 

 cane has a percentage on the average equal to beet-root, while in 

 the Nette flour the figure rises to more than 25 per cent., and it 

 may, perhaps, be much higher in the freshly collected flour. If 

 the flour or pulp of Nette can be produced in considerable 

 quantities in Western Africa this product could be applied to 



various industrial purposes. 



J. M. H 



Para Rubber at Tenom.— The following report on the yield of 

 rubber from Para Rubber trees in the Government Garden at 

 Tenom, British North Borneo, was compiled by Mr. F. E. Lease, 

 Manager of Sapong Estate, and appeared in the issue of the 

 British North Borneo Herald, for June 16, 1908. 



The trees in question have been grown from seeds received at 

 Tenom some seven or eight years ago. The seeds were received 

 without any advice and their nature was unknown, but they were 

 planted out in a nursery bed and in due time some were trans- 

 planted into the gardens, but a large number were left in the 

 nursery bed where they may still be seen growing in a large clump 

 surrounded by their own seedlings. 



It was not until the rubber boon reached Borneo a few years 

 since that they were recognized as Para rubber. 



As other plantations are being formed in Borneo, reliable 

 statistics as to the growth, progress and latex-producing qualities 

 of Para Rubber trees under known climatic conditions should be 

 of great value. I 



" The yield of one and three quarter pounds of rubber per tree 



in 12 months' tapping of 



64 



the termination of these experiments) is extremely satisfactory 

 and so is the work of the tapping coolie who took on an average 

 16 cuts to remove one inch of bark : most of this tapping was done 

 with an ordinary farrier's knife and some with a "safety tapping 

 knife, both simple instruments devoid of adjusting apparatus and 

 so " fool proof." 



" The trees were tapped every alternate day for one year without 

 any rest except on such days as rain fell or the tapper was sicic : 

 they seem none the worse for this treatment and have yielded 

 20,849 seed as against 11,591 the previous year. 



" Seed is harvested at Tenom from August to November and if 

 the weather is favourable, again in January and Februarj . 



" In connection with the question of seed I might here mention 

 as a matter of interest that a tree on Sapong Estate has nowerea 

 when just 20 months old. 



